Our Story

Find out who we are, where we came from and how we want to make a difference.

Malcolm Rands started ecostore with his wife Melanie in the basement of their home in an eco-village in New Zealand in 1993. They’d been using sustainable and organic gardening practices on their property for many years but realised they were still being exposed to way too many toxic chemicals through the cleaning and body care products they were using. As a result, ecostore was born.

Spirit. They got to work sourcing healthier products, with no toxic or unnecessary chemicals, and a commitment that their products would work just as well as mainstream brands. They found expert help to start developing laundry products with a philosophy of 'health first' that continues today – if there’s any doubt about the safety of an ingredient for people’s health as well as the environment, a safer alternative must be found.

Health First. Their unique focus on health created a loyal customer following. Over the years customers would write in saying their eczema, dermatitis, asthma and other allergies had improved or disappeared altogether from using ecostore products. As their customer numbers grew, so did the number of carbon miles spent transporting products to and from Auckland, so in 2002, the Rands family moved to Auckland and set up a retail store in Freemans Bay. In 2005 ecostore expanded the range to include household cleaners, body care and baby care. In 2006, ecostore launched into New Zealand supermarkets, followed by Australia in 2008 and in 2009, ecostore launched into the United States.

ecostore products have a wealth of scientific research and innovation behind them. Under the direction of Sir Ray Avery (2010 New Zealander of the Year) our lead formulator and chemist, each product is months in the development and making, ensuring the safest health, environmental and efficacy standards are achieved.

We’re proud to be a NZ company, manufacturing in Auckland and creating products which are healthier for people and our environment. Our journey is ongoing and we are constantly looking to improve the way we do things.